What Indie Bands Don’t Understand About Niche Marketing

It might seem initially that creating a hyper targeted product is only going to limit the amount of fans you have access to, but the more time that I spend in the music industry the more I realize that this is in fact the only way to go. It was a weird realization to have – that for example the Mongolian Folk Metal band I manage, Tengger Cavalry, was doing much better than a many death metal bands I know with a broader target demographic. Many a manager or label executive can tell you that your band shouldn’t be trying to be everything to everyone but it’s hard to actually learn this lesson without seeing it firsthand.

It might seem counter-intuitive then that I try to explain this to you in an article then – but I think what really matters beyond that realization is the implications of it. It shows us that in the modern music industry we can still sell product but it has to be to super targeted markets. It also shows us that people aren’t quite as fickle as some might want you to believe. In fact – brand loyalty is more important than ever because now it relies purely on word of mouth. Part of why it’s important to get a ‘critical mass’ PR campaign is that after a point the PR becomes self sustaining, people start to come to you for press and not the other way around. As it happens – it seems that the only way to reliably set up a word of mouth campaign is by having targeted audiences.

Why is this? Well – it should be fairly obvious if you belong to any sort of niche or underground scene. A lot of these bands know exactly who they are marketing to – even if they don’t really admit it. For example, Noisem, whose bassist is currently trying to take a nap on my couch (And criticizing my old grindcore band) have managed to cultivate a very specific audience largely through their distinct dedication to the scene. As far as I can tell there is no grander scheme beyond ‘playing with bands that work with us and playing at appropriate venues’ but nevertheless this has allowed them to get a hyper dedicated fanbase of young death metal fanatics and the word of mouth buzz has gotten to the point that the band gets placements on major websites with minimal PR.

Cultivating a distinct image and role for your band in any scene is not – by nature – a hard thing to do. Unfortunately though it’s also something that many bands are trying to hook up in obvious ways. If you want to go the obvious route though it’s rarely going to work unless you are among the best of the best. Other ways to generate word of mouth come through crazy marketing stunts (Which rarely pay off in the long run) or, as I mentioned before, massive PR pushes. The thing is though – PR campaigns have to be done properly and with the right company and product. Sometimes you can get a ton of press, but if things aren’t resonating properly then organic reach just won’t happen. That’s fine though – it just means that in the future you need to tweak your approach.

How does this tie into angular marketing though? Well simply because if your product is unique enough people will talk about it. That’s why someone like Tengger Cavalry can generate so much buzz – because seriously, how many Mongolian folk metal bands are there? More than you’d expect to be sure – but still not a whole hell of a lot. It’s the same with someone like former IMP client Nic Nassuet who has managed to win a bunch of awards simply by selling a product that few others provide and services a hyper targeted niche. Again – people don’t care until you make them care, and if you genre tag alone makes people go “Oh, that’s interesting” then you’re already off to a good start.

What I’ve noticed about hyper targeted niche’s is that rarely does it happen by someone writing down a bunch of genre tags and going from there and if does, you can usually tell. Usually it’s an organic thing, something that feels right for the artist. If you’re just throwing together adjectives to figure out what kind of music will be profitable you’re going to get nowhere. Instead you need to emulate a band like The Aristocrats who managed to take a unique set of musical backgrounds and turn it into something that is truly special.

Finding a tiny niche isn’t a easy thing to do – but it will always pay off. Being a part of a scene is crucial because it helps bring you into a community, but from there you need to find an even tighter corner to dominate. In a world where minimal pay is guaranteed we need to give people every reason to want to purchase from you. Word of mouth is the way forward in 2016 and the deeper you delve the more you can make – people pay attention to weird things and if you can cause heads to turn then you know you are on the right track.

Independent Music Promotions’ (www.independentmusicpromotions.com) revolutionary music PR campaigns are the most effective in the industry. Submit your music to us today.

Testimonials

A few days ago I had an interesting conversation with a promoter who said "anyone who guarantees anything is not trustworthy". James and his company are the self-evident proof that there are people who do indeed keep their promises in this industry - as a young, independent artist, I'm thankful to say the least, for the efforts made in putting my music and my name out there.

Dan Costa

Musician

" I am very pleased with the amount of press James obtained for our compilation release "pretty sweet stuff". We opted for one of his lower-cost promotional packages and if one Googles "Mike comfort pretty sweet stuff", that's all James and independent music promotions. It is my opinion that this is a lot of press for a small amount of money. There are many companies on the Internet that offer independent music promotion, but we chose James because of his solid reputation in the industry. We did our homework and simply could not find one negative article about him anywhere on the Internet. I also like the fact that he was very responsive and took time to thoroughly answer any questions we had. We will be using James and independent music productions for a new project we are working on once it is finished. Thank you for all your hard work James."

"James Moore is one of the best promo guys in the business. His media relations efforts are unmatched as he works tirelessly with journalists in getting the best PR for his clients. James is indispensable to editors and he always pitches his clients so that they stand out from the rest. He provides editors with mountains of information on his people! I recommend James and I.M.P. because his musicians may not see the work he puts in, but he is fighting for them behind the scenes. We at CaliforniaRocker.com truly appreciate him."

Over the years, I've worked with a handful of PR companies and IMP has been the best by far in terms of price, exposure and communication. James truly cares for the artists and delivers every time. Keep rocking."

A friend recommended James Moore and I.M.P to us when we were about to release our first EP. We didn't know what to expect, but we were pleasantly surprised each week as the press rolled in. James was super encouraging and great to work with. The results of our promo package were way beyond what we expected and helped us tremendously with booking and establishing a web presence. We will definitely use I.M.P again when our LP comes out and recommend James to anyone looking to get their music out there.

Independent Music Promotions is a compelling indie artist's greatest friend. If you've got the goods, you have two options; Pay an insufferably overpriced publicist that will provide you a decidedly poor return on investment, or call James Moore. As a musician himself and as someone who's been in the trenches for two decades, he's fully cognizant how difficult fighting the good fight and securing online publicity can be. James over delivers on every promotion, works within your budgetary constraints and is easily accessible to the client throughout the entire process. He has the relationships and respect necessary to help you get to the next level in a timely fashion. I highly recommend James and Independent Music Promotions for your next project!

I can't say enough about how effective James has been in increasing my visibility and reputation as a musician. I went from virtually no web presence to feeling like I owned the internet. The quality and breadth of placements far exceeded my expectations and continue to pay dividends. I look forward to working with IMP on many future press campaigns to come.

I have worked with James Moore and Independent Music Promotions exclusively during the release of my last two C.D.s. Each time I received careful, personalized service that greatly helped me reach my goal of creating awareness for my music. Professional, reliable and extremely effective, I couldn't more highly recommend anyone for a promotional campaign.

James @ IMP is personable, professional, and is rooting for you to make it happen.

Cali Blake

Musician

"We are constantly wowed by your consistent outreach. You and your team are fantastic! Just when we think we've got it all there's another full run of many brand new press clips from top notch media at that. We surely wouldn't have such a diverse audience at this point if it wasn't for your due diligence week in and week out. Contacting you was one of the best decisions I ever made. Thank you!"

I had been shopping around for a PR company that could help me extend my music and my reach out to blogs and media when I came across Independent Music Promotions. I didn't really know what to expect at first, but they really do deliver! From weekly updates to making sure that all my information is correct and sent to relevant sites and organizations, they were everything I could have hoped for. The team itself is personalized and interested in helping you out as a musician regardless of your genre, and they do a great job at getting the word out and helping make your music known.

I am so grateful to IMP for helping me get my music out to the world. James and Matt are friendly, efficient, affordable and have heaps of connections that allowed an indie artist like me to give my music the chance it deserves. Once again, thank you so much for all of the great work and for providing these services to DIY artists!

It speaks volumes about someone when they follow their passion. When it comes to James, his pursuit puts him in the background. He is behind the scenes working to help others realize their dreams. His vision and drive are contagious.

I have no doubt in my mind that James Moore is one hell of a stand-up guy and tirelessly-devoted servant to the music-scene in all areas & genres. A man of character and drive, with an in-depth understanding of music I can truly respect.

Getting quality press coverage is difficult for any indie artist trying to promote themselves in an already crowded marketplace. James Moore really gets your music in front of the right people for maximum exposure. He exceeded my expectations, especially when he got me a feature in the Huffington Post! Working with James was just the boost I needed to take my career to next level.

We were new to the music PR process and didn't know what would work best for our band in the months leading up to our record release. We were skittish at first, but James Moore did an amazing job in warming us up to the entire process and earning our trust with his knowledge of the market and concise vision. The positive reviews seemed to come pouring in almost right after he started working with us. Weeks later, we look back and can't thank him enough for helping to give our music the kind of digital footprint we had been working for. James even helped us land a review on AbsolutePunk.net — one of our longtime favorite music sites. James knows his stuff and we will keep his name in our pockets when we are in need of a PR push.

IMP was able to customize a campaign and work collaboratively with Klassik and his team that was extremely effective in securing placements on major media publications from our releases to a targeted audience. James is very flexible and easy to work with and one of the most honest and reliable people you will find in the music industry.

Deciding to work with James was the best decision we've made to publicize our second release, Heartbeat Serenade. The results have been spectacular and far beyond our expectations. We have (thankfully) received overwhelmingly positive reviews, and traffic is way up on our website as a result. We cannot recommend James highly enough and are grateful for his expertise and dedication in getting every last review possible. We're so glad we worked with him and plan to do so again for our next release!

I had a thoroughly positive experience working with James and independent music. It was refreshing to work with a company that values art and understands an artist's priorities. My EP reached audiences I could have never reached on my own and James kept in close contact with me throughout the process. I would recommend IMP to any independent artist trying to expand their audience.

Independent Music Promotions took The Devine Xperience to the next level. Our career has been blasted into the stratosphere because of them. We have done multiple campaigns with them for Album releases, Remix releases, and Music Video releases and must say that they have consistently delivered press for us that far exceeded our expectations. We know that we never would be where we are today without them. James is extremely professional, organized, and if you are lucky enough for him to accept your project, he is genuinely an advocate for your project on a level that is unheard of for a PR company in our experience. If I could give one piece of advice to anyone that is interested in elevating their career in the music industry, it would be to really invest in yourself and your future by working with the best PR company in the game. I look forward to the future because I know The Devine Xperience will continue to succeed because we made the right choices in building our team and your team in the music business is only as strong as its weakest link.

James Moore-at Independent Music Promotions-has really proved to be an invaluable publicist for me!!! He's knowledgeable, honest, hard working, and competitively priced. James doesn't make exaggerated claims, like so many I've encountered in the music biz over the years. I spent a lot of time getting my promo content properly prepared for my new CD release 'Totem'. When it finally got to James, he hit the ground running. He's gotten me 12 great reviews so far, some in very high-profile music blogs; this is an accomplishment I could never have achieved without his help. Those reviews are immediately helping me to score better gigs. And, I'm sure they'll assist me in a lot of other positive ways over time!!! I would unreservedly recommend James Moore to any serious indie musician anytime. In fact, I've already done so."

"Thanks for doing such a great job for a very reasonable cost. This is exactly what Manilow needed to get some search buzz and, more importantly, some great reviews by interesting people who were well targeted."

I’m an independent musician. After releasing my 1st album I realized how difficult it is to get heard and/or create any type of buzz. When I finished my 2nd album, I wanted to ensure I didn’t make the same mistakes and allow my album to fall through the cracks. So I contacted James at Independent Music Promotions. Of course at first you’re always nervous to invest your time, money and music into something you’ve never tried before, but I am so glad I did. My experience with James was great! He was awesome to work with. He gave me updates throughout the whole process and always answered any questions I had quickly. But most importantly, the amount of press he was able to get me about my album was more than I ever thought possible. If you need help getting your music out there, I definitely recommend Independent Music Promotions. I know I will be using them again for my next album. Richard Tyler Epperson

Independent Music Promotions helps artists carve a path through the muck of the Internet. James Moore knows what he is doing and wants to give light to all the great musicians breaking their back for the good of song. He can help to make sense of our fast-paced world, while the musicians can focus on creating their best work. It's no fun trying to juggle creativity with business and no one gets that more than Moore. IMP yeah you know me.

Eli Jace

Freelance Writer / Eli Jace

I have been working with James at IMP on my new album, Diamonds & Demons. James has done a fantastic job of promotion and putting my music out there into the ethers of the internet. I have received a good amount of coverage including reviews and interviews. James is always available if I have questions and ideas and welcomes them. He's very supportive and can identify with artists/musicians and I wouldn't hesitate to work with him again in the future.

True Groove Records highly recommends I.M.P. We've been working with James Moore and IMP for four years now and he has continuously surpassed our expectations -- achieving fabulous results for our flagship artists Tomás Doncker Band, Marla Mase, Lael Summer and Kevin Jenkins. All you have to do is google any of these names and you will see what IMP has made happen for us. With 6 upcoming releases in the next two months IMP will be very busy promoting True Groove -- what we love most about James/IMP is their tireless efforts to promote music with depth and the integrity with which they work. Unlike most PR companies, IMP promises and delivers. A colleague who we referred IMP to, called IMP, her "secret weapon." Oh well, we're letting the cat out of the bag so go ahead and watch your career go the next level. Marla Mase and Tomás Doncker

The single biggest mistake bands make is not having a strong, visible presence online and in the press. They work hard to write and record, gig, and market themselves effectively, but labels and potential fans have no idea who they are. If this is a problem you've had, you need to contact James Moore at IMP. A great publicist is NOT easy for indie bands to come by in this industry, and a great AFFORDABLE one is almost unheard of. James is friendly, well-connected, and most of all has an obvious passion for his work. When Larusso hired James, we were skeptical; we'd never used a professional publicist before and in all honesty the affordable rates at which he works made me wonder if IMP was going to be even close to on par with the publicists in this industry that charge upwards of $10,000 for a few weeks of outreach. After working with James on the critical mass campaign, we won't think twice about using any other company again. Not only did we receive insane amounts of press in some of our favorite publications, the connections we made as a result of James' outreach branched out into new networking and promotional opportunities for our band. You can't take the next step in your music career without a presence in the entertainment media, so give IMP a shout! I can absolutely guarantee there is no better choice for an indie band around right now.

Don’t let anyone tell you that there aren’t any good mentors in the music business these days. Because I know one. James Moore formed Independent Music Promotions because he saw a huge gap in what musicians needed and what was being sold to them.

I.M.P have gone way beyond the call of duty for us. The amount of music promotion and press coverage we got for our album was beyond anything that we could have imagined. Every step of the way with I.M.P we felt like we were working with people who understood our music and where we were coming from.

James promises much, and delivers more. That's been my experience. It's not just that the press comes in, but that there's more than I expect. James' contacts in the industry obviously respect his taste. Press for me has therefore been generally positive, but honest too. The best thing about working with James, however, is that he is clearly professional. His communication with you is frequent, clear and very helpful. I think James calls us artists comrades because that's how we see him; he's in it with us, and is willing to give counsel on your career, along with delivering great press results!

Simon Adams

Musician

James helped us to give our farewell album a sendoff to be remembered. He brought in over 15K new ears, from all over the world, for one last, sublime hurrah.

Steven Luscher

Musician / Lakefield

For our third release, Grand Unifier, we decided to try Independent Music Promotions to help boost our profile and increase our media presence. After many long years of bad choices and wasted money, we finally stumbled across a service that delivered far beyond our expectations. The media coverage was exceptional. The press pieces were apt and insightful. Not only did they provide ample material for us to grow our marketing efforts, they also conveyed wonderful criticism that will ultimately help us improve as a band. Another tremendous positive about Independent Music Promotions is the level of communication they provided. Not once through the process did we feel out of touch or worried about how our money was being spent. The only regret I have is not including more in our project budget to get a bigger media package. The whole experience was positive. We will definitely use them again and will gladly recommend them to any artist seeking this type of service.

Greg Maechling

Musician / Particle Wave

Odd Hours honestly wanted to work with I.M.P. because James offered a guarantee for the service — we also liked his philosophy and apparent depth of clients and experience. We liked him doubling on his promise for reviews and online magazine articles. We would recommend him for your future projects.

"I had pretty high expectations when I originally talked with James about working my album. James exceeded those expectations..."

Darryl Mccarty

Musician / Darryl Mccarty

"James provides one-on-one attention to his artists, and delivers on his end of the deal. By tapping his extensive network of media relations, he allows the artist access to a much broader scope of press opportunity. I will also say that I was happy to see a few (slightly) less than positive reviews pop up online, which assuaged my ethical worries of "buying" good press. James delivers exposure to his handpicked artists, but the press is real and sinks or swims based on the quality of the music. IMP is a great tool for independent musicians who are ready to take their media presence to the next level."

Trent Ciolino

Musician / The Plum Magnetic

When I was preparing the release of my second EP I was looking for a much different result and experience than I had with my first. Which was basically, no result at all! I found James Moore and he far exceeded my expectations. He knows the landscape of the media and blogs and understands what it’s like to be an independent artist in todays music biz. His work gave my album the chance I felt it deserved, to be heard, and built a foundation upon which I can now grow as an artist. I’m now excited to go back into the studio as I know that, with Jame’s help my music will not fall on deaf ears!

Andy Blunda

Musician / Blunda

"James Moore is a first-rate music industry professional, who is well-connected, who knows great music, and who has the contacts to get your music into the right hands. Independent Music Promotions carefully crafts the resources desired by independent artists who are looking for press or media placement in blogs, magazines, websites, and major publications. I.M.P. works with a love and passion for the music that they expose to the world, carefully selecting artists who have something to say and give back to the world of music, laboring soundly and deliberately to the end of not only growing a base of followers for the artists they serve, but truly attracting publicity from all angles, securing hard-to-find interviews, reviews, and features from publications that place unestablished artists alongside established, well-known acts. The end results are amazing and impressive. I would absolutely recommend the services of James Moore and Independent Music Promotions to any musician or artist looking to take the next step in their career. In coordination with your music and vision, James and I.M.P can deliver solid results and jumpstart your campaign or movement with a caring and guiding hand."

Chuckie Campbell

Musician

I.M.P's submissions come the best way among other promoters/managers/indie labels/etc. Full description and all details, links and downloads. Being a perfectionist myself, sometimes, especially about music....I know what goes into it all.

Justin Sane

Radio Host / RSM Promotions

IMP has exposed The Blue Project to the "now crowd" bringing this Blues project to today's generation and today's social media. IMP is great.

Danny Petroni

Musician / The Blue Project

“Working with James Moore and IMP has been one of the most positive experiences our band has had in the ever changing music industry. There was a very easy line of communication with James, as if I’d been working with him for years. He’s very honest and straightforward, and gives you great tips on how to help your band maximize the work he’s done on your behalf, and his work exceeded our expectations. I can’t recommend the services of IMP enough to a band looking to take their brand to the next level.”

“James Moore has delivered exactly as advertised and then some. We are very happy with the results that we have received. We can’t wait to work with him again in the future.We strongly recommend I.M.P.”

“Without a high quality promotion campaign to support and guide you, you could easily fall through the cracks, and this is exactly what the PR pioneers over at Independent Music Promotions aim to combat!”

Music Website / All The Rage UK

“With his heart deeply rooted into the soil of musician’s advocacy, James Moore has established himself as one of the few remaining folks who continue to devote their careers in order to support independent and DIY artists all over.”

Indie, Bikes & Beer

Website / Indie, Bikes & Beer

“Moore remains brutally honest in the best way possible, explains what you need to do, while setting realistic expectations and never sugarcoating the truth.”

Nanobot Rock

Music Website / Nanobot Rock

“IMP is essential for any artist that truly wants to develop their brand name. Getting press is one of the hardest things for an artist to achieve and Jame’s rapport with the press opens doors for artists he represents. Why? Because they know already that James Moore is a tastemaker with an ear for great music. Also, IMP can help you define and build your target fanbase using techniques often overlooked by less savvy promoters and publicists. His extensive research and knowledge of the ever changing music industry comes in handy for those who are trying to steer their music career in the right direction without all of the usual pitfalls that bands tend to find themselves in.”

Douglas Garnett

Musician/Graphic Artist / DigDugDisaster

“One of the unsigned music industry’s largest names.”

Craig Priestley

CEO / The Music Magazine

“James Moore will provide you with all of the tools to help get your music out to the masses.”

“One of music promotions brightest minds (and as it turns out) nicest guys.”

Joshua Liston

Music Industry Blogger / DIY Music Movement

“I’m more then happy to recommend Independent Music Promotions to deliver on what they promise. What James Moore does is unique; he works with carefully chosen independent artists on a one on one format to music web sites, blogs and magazines that are well-respected.”

“After self releasing 4 albums with no real publicity follow up, I decided I needed to try something different for my 5th. Instead of doing all the work myself, this time I hired James Moore. I have had so many good write ups as a result of his campaign, a few new facebook fans and a producer even offered to remix one of my songs through the campaign. I highly recommend his services for an independent musician who wants results.”

“Our band (The Barrens) was referred to James Moore by EndAnd. After seeing their success we decided to take a chance hiring him for his services. It didn’t take long at all–we got results that we couldn’t get anywhere else: album reviews, interviews, and new fans all around the world. James is very well-connected with the industry and he also provides quality customer service, making us feel at ease and respected as artists.”

“My band ”Slim Loris” recorded and released an album but were struggling a bit with promoting it. We decided to use the services of James Moore and Independent Music Promotions to get some more publicity. In a couple of weeks time James had generated more press and reviews for us than we had managed our selves in several months. I would highly recommend Independent Music Promotions for any independent band looking to get their music noticed.”

“It’s rare to find competence like James’s. The attention he gave EndAnd has been more than satisfying. We are musicians who have no inclination to take on the role of promoters…or advisors, managers and or A&R personal which James has been to us. We got more then we bargained for.”

“After releasing my first album as a leader, I spent many months contacting reviewers with little response until I found Independent Music Promotions. Once I delegated all of that hard work to James Moore, I was getting more results and attention faster than I had anticipated. I could focus a lot of my energies on the music again. I was even getting more calls to perform rather than making them. I believe that if you have something good and you’re starting out without help, James can definitely get you results.”

Joan Torres

Musician / Joan Torres's All Is Fused

“Any artist creating unusual and interesting music should look into working with Independent Music Promotions. James Moore has a very unique perspective on the music industry, and this makes him a great fit for the type of artists he prefers to work with. He is one of the only people working in music who is willing to simply tell it exactly as it is. James gave me a much clearer picture of how the modern industry actually works, and he is filled with useful advice. He is also a great publicist who has a talent for getting fringe music featured in many different types of publications.”

Gabriel Riccio

Musician / The Gabriel Construct

"James Moore is the rare individual in the music business that not only does tremendous work for the artists he represents, but truly respects his clients, proving you can have both aheart and a brain in this industry. We highly recommend his services and his book, Your Band is a Virus, to any musician with serious aspirations in music; both are worth every penny."

BJ Fitzgerald

Musician / The Ill Funk Ensemble

“When James Moore said that we would get more then we bargained for we never thought is would be this good. James is highly professional, in regular contact and really, really cares about the artists he works with. And to put the cherry on top he gets amazing results.”

Rooftop Runners

Rooftop Runners

“If you are a band or artist with some potential, James Moore knows how to create a lot of noise about you. Through his contacts in the industry he is able to get your music listened to and reviewed by some of the industries top online and print blogs and magazines. Through his company ‘Independent Music Promotions’ James consistently delivers value to the independent artist and always delivers beyond expectation.”

We Are

Independent Music Promotions is a highly respected music PR and music marketing company. We have spent years building our music industry contacts, which allows us to promote our clients in the most prestigious print publications and online digital media.

We represent an international roster of "musicians with depth" from a broad spectrum of musical genres.

These innovative and unique musical talents deserve to be heard, and we help promote them on the world stage.